An island kitchen with an extended dining table makes it easy to entertain and cook at the same time
THE FIGURES
Size: 1,227 sq ft
Renovation budget:
Under $80,000
HIDE AND SLEEK: White floor-to-ceiling cabinets (above) hide a storeroom and the entrance to a toilet while the flush look ensures a clean and streamlined feel in the kitchen. The island counter, which extends to a dining table, allows avid cook Marc Ling (below, with wife Erika Foo)to whip up his specialities and entertain at the same time. -- ST PHOTOS: ALAN LIM
IT IS difficult to tell that this four-room HDB flat in Bishan is 13 years old.
Home owners Marc Ling and Erika Foo worked with Ms Kelly Choong from interior design firm ProjectFile to give their flat a new breath of life.
The couple bought the 1,227 sq ft flat for $360,000 and moved in last month.
Ms Foo, 27, a facilitator at Republic Polytechnic, describes their home as 'minimalist, modern and with a Scandinavian air'.
Mr Ling, 29, a consultant, says the flat was well-kept but old fashioned. 'It was uncluttered so we could see the potential. Plus it has a squarish layout which makes it easier to work with,' he says.
They spent about $74,000 on renovation which took about three months. This included removing a second main door so a recess area by the main door could be better utilised. It is now a shoe storage area.
A wall leading to the kitchen and a storeroom was also removed to create an open kitchen, which allows the couple to have an island kitchen with an extended dining table.
'I entertain and cook, and still want to be able to mingle with guests rather than be away, as I would be in a conventional kitchen,' says Mr Ling.
RELAX IN THIS CORNER: Ms Foo also designed and created her own vinyl sticker print-outs for this cosy corner (above) in the master bedroom.
The new home has just two bedrooms, down from the previous three. One is now the guest room, while a study and the old master bedroom have been merged into a bigger bedroom that comes with a walk-in wardrobe area.
WORK AND PLAY: By merging two bedrooms, the new master bedroom has an attached work area (above). Flanking it is a row of cabinets that is also the walk-in wardrobe and hides the entrance to the bathroom.
The couple also changed their marble flooring for homogenous tiles.
Some of the renovation money was also spent on built-in cupboards around the home, such as the walk-in wardrobe area, the TV console in the living room as well as the shoe-storage area. The built-in cupboards were done in light wood laminate, a shade that is popular in Scandinavian homes.
HOMEMADE ART: In the living room (above), the plasma TV is framed by acrylic paintings and animated photo montages of Mr Ling's overseas travels (below) made by Ms Foo.
'We prefer built-in pieces so we can keep everything tucked away,' says Ms Foo.
A row of white floor-to-ceiling cabinets behind the island kitchen hides a storeroom and the entrance to a toilet, while one cabinet opens up to a storage area.
Perpendicular to this row of cabinets is another row of built-in cabinets which hides the washing machine and a wine cooler.
Ms Foo says the arrangement gives the home an uncluttered and seamless feel.
For furnishings, the couple shopped at local stores Air Division for their sofa and at X-tra Living, where they bought designer chairs such as the Eames Moulded Plastic Rocker and Air Chair.
The avid shoppers also went online and bought two lamps from CB2.com and a set of wall flats, or recycled fibreboards that were used to create a feature wall, from inhabitliving.com
Items ordered from online stores are flat-packed and shipped to Singapore.
'You can get more variety and, in some cases, it is cheaper too compared to buying it locally,' says Mr Ling.
Tips from the home owners
1 Plan in advance
The best way to stay within the budget is to plan ahead of time and apportion funds accordingly. 'Before we picked the interior design company, we had done our maths and decided that we would spend about $70,000 on renovation,' says Ms Foo.
2 Find your own suppliers
The couple found their own suppliers for bathroom fittings and the double-system roller blinds. 'This allowed us to compare quotes and quality of products before we bought them,' says Ms Foo.
3 Mix and match
The couple knew they were spending on designer pieces such as the Eames Molded Plastic Chairs. 'To complement the look without burning a hole in our pockets, we hunted for bargains that were similarly designed but cost only a fraction of the price,' says Ms Foo.
4 Get fittings that reinforce the look
A clear vision helped the couple pick items that complemented the look instead of those they desired. 'We also kept a list of the exact items needed - this helped to keep in check the purchase of items,' says Ms Foo.
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